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News 2024 Disneyland Resort Event Calendar
- Thread starter DCBaker
- Start date
PiratesMansion
Well-Known Member
Pixar Fest last time around was...not my favorite. I remember liking most of the food items I tried, but those food items were not enough to overcome how much I truly hated the Pixar music loop in the Esplanade, the Pixar bunting on Main Street, enduring PPP in DL over Soundsational, and Together Forever, which I thought was the worst Fireworks show I've ever seen in a Disney park (and even my friend who was otherwise all over Pixar Fest and Pixar Pier thought TF was bad, which to me says something).
That said, if DCA actually gets-and keeps!-a good day parade out of this, I suppose it's at least a bit worthwhile.
But to me, this isn't a summer draw-it's a massive deterrent.
By comparison, Food and Wine (I know, not new and probably comes with its own set of problems) doesn't sound too bad to me, especially with SOC guranteed to be returning, but unfortunately our Spring Break this year is the week before Easter, and going to the parks then just seems like a bad idea.
Ah well. Even if I don't make it out at any point beforehand, it's looking like Christmas 2024 is a go, so at least there's that!
That said, if DCA actually gets-and keeps!-a good day parade out of this, I suppose it's at least a bit worthwhile.
But to me, this isn't a summer draw-it's a massive deterrent.
By comparison, Food and Wine (I know, not new and probably comes with its own set of problems) doesn't sound too bad to me, especially with SOC guranteed to be returning, but unfortunately our Spring Break this year is the week before Easter, and going to the parks then just seems like a bad idea.
Ah well. Even if I don't make it out at any point beforehand, it's looking like Christmas 2024 is a go, so at least there's that!
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
Ahh, I missed this tidbit: "Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will provide fresh perspective on the fireworks above Disneyland park, with galactic music sweeping through the spires."
Finally getting music for the fireworks?!
Finally getting music for the fireworks?!
That’s fun. The exit of MFSR is a great place to watch the fireworks.
CaptinEO
Well-Known Member
Season of the Force from 2015 and Pixar Fest from 2018? Why are these coming back? Is Tommorowland only going to play Star Wars music again?
I feel like these were already lame events at the time and am surprised they're returning. They aren't old enough to be nostalgic either. It just seems strange.
What are the events for 2025:
Summer of Heroes making a come back? Mickey's 90th ? Hot Dog Days?
I feel like these were already lame events at the time and am surprised they're returning. They aren't old enough to be nostalgic either. It just seems strange.
What are the events for 2025:
Summer of Heroes making a come back? Mickey's 90th ? Hot Dog Days?
ProjectXBlog
Well-Known Member
I’m a little disappointed that there’s no mention of Launch Bay for Season of the Force. My understanding is that the first floor is currently used for Imagination Campus, but that transition to Beast’s Library should be done soon enough that this massive space (which still has Star Wars theming inside!) could be made available for crowds to escape the heat. Same goes for the Tomorrowland Theater — it makes no sense whatsoever to not run that stupid Path of the Jedi thing and utilize that space for guests again.
PiratesMansion
Well-Known Member
In light of the return of Pixar Fest, I decided to watch a video of Together Forever to see if my opinion of that fireworks show had changed at all since 2018. At that time, I and many others derided it as an inferior show, but I had to admit that now, five years later, I didn't really remember the show all that well, so I gave it a rewatch.
To Disney's credit, they have already promised new scenes, because this show definitely needs it. I don't think any of the problems the show has aren't fixable, but there's a reason the 2018 version was so unsatisfying compared to other fireworks shows, and I don't know that I could say that the IP is the main problem. I noted a few things this time around:
1.) No organizing principle or flow: other Disneyland fireworks shows are organized around a particular concept, or at least a particular song. There's seemingly nothing guiding Together Forever; it starts with Buzz Lightyear, which is cool, and then Dug shows up for five seconds or so, and then we're immediately at Monsters Inc. No song or music of any kind guides us from one franchise to another, and this is generally the case throughout the entirety of the show. It's probably true that no DL Fireworks show is as artistically pure as we might like, and that most every show probably has certain things mandated to be included, but because there are no transitions, it feels especially the case here. As much as I'm personally way, way over the song, starting the show with, say, "You've Got a Friend in Me" would have made the start of the show less abrupt and could have been used to better structure the different parts of the show together. In 2018, that song DID show up, but in the middle and in a way that made it feel random rather than cohesive. Given Pixar's track record and brand, it would seem like a natural way to open and close the show.
2.) Repetitive visuals, and visual choices that don't serve the show. Buzz starts the show and wows-but immediately after he exits stage left, there he is, projected on the castle, first in a sort of generic shot, and then the pan up of the first time we see Buzz from the first movie, presented at a much larger scale than the Buzz we just saw. Then later in the Up segment, the Up house flies and again gets a huge reaction-but then a much larger projection of the Up house later rises on the castle, while the physical, and much smaller, Up house prop is still flying! Visual contradictions result in bad show.
3.) Because of these problems, the show doesn't really build at all. Your enjoyment of each segment probably depends entirely on whether or not you like whatever IP is being presented at the moment.
4.) Length. Together Forever 2018 edition comes out to about 11:46, which is two minutes shorter than Wondrous Journeys. Two minutes might not sound that different to your average park guest, but TF does feel shorter in a way that is tangible.
5.) Weirdly, not enough notable Pixar tracks are present. What does or does not count as notable Pixar music probably varies from person to person, but most of the first Toy Story's soundtrack is absent. "If I Didn't Have You" from Monsters is absent. No "When Somebody Loved Me." No "Remember Me." Inside Out characters are present, but the score isn't in a way that you might expect. "Finding Nemo" has some beautiful instrumental tracks that have shown up in other Fireworks shows, but not in this one. There are probably more examples, but you get the point. There's more good music in Pixar movies than some might give them credit for, but their best music is almost entirely absent from TF.
I think they could actually make lemonade out of lemons, and that the OG Together Forever probably had a sudden and rushed production cycle compared to other fireworks shows, much in the way that the very idea for Pixar Pier seemed to materialize instantaneously from nowhere. But TF needs more than just "new scenes" in order for it to be fully appreciated in the way people loved Wondrous Journeys and other more successful fireworks shows.
To Disney's credit, they have already promised new scenes, because this show definitely needs it. I don't think any of the problems the show has aren't fixable, but there's a reason the 2018 version was so unsatisfying compared to other fireworks shows, and I don't know that I could say that the IP is the main problem. I noted a few things this time around:
1.) No organizing principle or flow: other Disneyland fireworks shows are organized around a particular concept, or at least a particular song. There's seemingly nothing guiding Together Forever; it starts with Buzz Lightyear, which is cool, and then Dug shows up for five seconds or so, and then we're immediately at Monsters Inc. No song or music of any kind guides us from one franchise to another, and this is generally the case throughout the entirety of the show. It's probably true that no DL Fireworks show is as artistically pure as we might like, and that most every show probably has certain things mandated to be included, but because there are no transitions, it feels especially the case here. As much as I'm personally way, way over the song, starting the show with, say, "You've Got a Friend in Me" would have made the start of the show less abrupt and could have been used to better structure the different parts of the show together. In 2018, that song DID show up, but in the middle and in a way that made it feel random rather than cohesive. Given Pixar's track record and brand, it would seem like a natural way to open and close the show.
2.) Repetitive visuals, and visual choices that don't serve the show. Buzz starts the show and wows-but immediately after he exits stage left, there he is, projected on the castle, first in a sort of generic shot, and then the pan up of the first time we see Buzz from the first movie, presented at a much larger scale than the Buzz we just saw. Then later in the Up segment, the Up house flies and again gets a huge reaction-but then a much larger projection of the Up house later rises on the castle, while the physical, and much smaller, Up house prop is still flying! Visual contradictions result in bad show.
3.) Because of these problems, the show doesn't really build at all. Your enjoyment of each segment probably depends entirely on whether or not you like whatever IP is being presented at the moment.
4.) Length. Together Forever 2018 edition comes out to about 11:46, which is two minutes shorter than Wondrous Journeys. Two minutes might not sound that different to your average park guest, but TF does feel shorter in a way that is tangible.
5.) Weirdly, not enough notable Pixar tracks are present. What does or does not count as notable Pixar music probably varies from person to person, but most of the first Toy Story's soundtrack is absent. "If I Didn't Have You" from Monsters is absent. No "When Somebody Loved Me." No "Remember Me." Inside Out characters are present, but the score isn't in a way that you might expect. "Finding Nemo" has some beautiful instrumental tracks that have shown up in other Fireworks shows, but not in this one. There are probably more examples, but you get the point. There's more good music in Pixar movies than some might give them credit for, but their best music is almost entirely absent from TF.
I think they could actually make lemonade out of lemons, and that the OG Together Forever probably had a sudden and rushed production cycle compared to other fireworks shows, much in the way that the very idea for Pixar Pier seemed to materialize instantaneously from nowhere. But TF needs more than just "new scenes" in order for it to be fully appreciated in the way people loved Wondrous Journeys and other more successful fireworks shows.
waltography
Well-Known Member
I've always thought this would be a cool idea to use the barrages from an existing show and overlaying a new location-specific show around it; it's not the same as a show built around the music, but I think this is a perfect candidate for something like this. Use those hidden speakers dangit!
Season of the Force makes sense as a promotional period given how much Star Wars stuff will be happening in that short time span (Star Wars Nites expansion, new destinations for Star Tours, May the Fourth, and we'll throw them a bone with the new music in SWL. Pixar Fest makes sense with Inside Out 2 coming out next summer and them likely wanting to capitalize on the Disney+ Pixar movies now that they're getting theatrical releases to pad out their Q2.
I'm excited to see what they'll do with Soul and Turning Red since music plays a significant role in both, and I think with enough of the recent hits they can do a proper WoC-style show weaving the songs together with the contours of a narrative. If I were the show director, I'd do something like:
- You've Got a Friend in Me
- Nemo Egg/Married Life
- Life is a Highway
- The Incredibles/Born to Play
- Le Festin/Touch the Sky/Define Dancing
- The World Es Mi Familia
- If I Didn't Have You/Nobody Like U
- We Belong Together
D.Silentu
Well-Known Member
I've thought about this before, as I'm sure many other have. It makes sense and ought to be a part of every firework show moving forward. It's just possible that some viewers will opt for this perspective over the castle.
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
Couple thoughts.
-Yikes
- Why does it seem like they re trying to make Turning Red something that it’s not
- Appreciate the fact that they don’t have the yellow and blue bunting on Main Street
Consumer
Well-Known Member
That is so unbelievably ugly.
waltography
Well-Known Member
Turning Red was the second-most streamed movie in 2022 behind Encanto, I think you might be underestimating its popularity. Also, I think people like panda Mei in a similar way they like Baymax; the appeal of big cute characters you want to hug knows no ends.
I don't really hate the sculpture too much (I think it's kind of ironic it looks a bit like a corporate Tower of the Four Winds), but if this was the trade-off for yellow and blue bunting, I'm happy to make the trade.
PiratesMansion
Well-Known Member
Yet.
In their eyes, Pixar Fest 2018 must have been a roaring success if they're bringing it back, so they're likely bringing back the bunting, the Pixar Esplanade music loop, etc. In their eyes, it's what people will want.
Between everything Pixar Fest, HM being down, POTC probably on Genie all year, I've never been happier to not be going to Disneyland this summer.
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
Yeah just trying to be optimistic for a millisecond. Thanks for bringing me back to the dark side. Not to mention all the construction walls that go along with Splash and HM being down. Two huge people eaters down and Genie inflating wait times on Pirates. Pre GE and MMRR it would have been a bigger deal but still far from ideal.
It’s like they’re doing everything in their power to make sure I just buy the three day So Cal pass this year instead of Keys. If there was ever year to do that it would be this one. Still, if you buy three day passes for the family and go once during the holidays you have already spent 50% of what Keys would have cost for just 4 visits.
PiratesMansion
Well-Known Member
I try not to live on the dark side, but everything relating to Pixar Fest, HM, and Pirates of the Geniebean have been very effective in sapping my enthusiasm.
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
I didn’t know it did that well. I think they definitely want to sell those Mei plushes. I never know what to make of those streaming numbers though when you have 7 year old movies that are in fourth place.
PiratesMansion
Well-Known Member
Maybe if this all doesn't work out the way they're hoping, they'll at least bring back all day park hopping and get rid of reservations for day ticket guests.
You know, the way WDW is doing the same thing in like a week.
You know, the way WDW is doing the same thing in like a week.
Instead of That, DL could have used that money for MSEP or PTN........